Apparatus for handling dust



Jan. 30, 1945. F. B. ALLEN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING DUST s sheets-sheet 1 Filed Dee. 29, 1942 h Gom.

Jan. 3o, 1945.

F. B. ALLEN APPARATUS FOR HANDLING DUST Filed Dec. 29, 1942 5 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Jai.. so, 1945. F, B, ALLEN 2,368,396

APPARATUS FQR HANDLING DUSTl Filed Dec. 29, 1942 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 the liquid in the space beneath ring IIc may flow thru suitable openings provided therefor (not shown) into the cylinder IIb, with theresult that the piston ITc movesslcwly down to 'the` bottom end of its stroke, thereby retracting pawl I9 to engage with the next tooth on ratchet I I. It will be understood that the up-stroke of the piston I'Ic is suiiicient in extent to rotate thev ratchet II thru the desired part of a complete revolution, which part will depend on the number of valves 2 which are controlled by theshaft which is actuated by one thruster.

The arrangement of levers 9, cams I0 and ratchet I I, and the yoperation of the device shown in Fig. 2, where two dust valves are disclosed, will be better understood by reference to Fig. 7.

f In the eXtreme left diagram of that gure the levers 9 of both valves 2 are intheir down positions with the cam I0 engaging the lever 9 ofthe rst or lefthand valve of Fig. 2; and the ratchet II is shown in its starting position. In the next diagram to the right, the thruster has rotated cam II lthru 90 degrees, thereby bringing tooth I of the ratchet from a horizontal position to a top vertical position and simultaneously rotating the cam I9 of the rst valve also thru 90 degrees and thereby actuating lever 9 of the rst valve to open position, as shown at the left side of Figs. l and 2. The next cycle of the thruster brings'tooth 2 of ratchet II from a horizontal position to a top vertical position, as shown in the third diagram from the left of Fig. "I, correspondingly rotating cam I9 of the first valve out of engagement with lever 9 of that valve and allowing that lever toresume itsdown position, and also lifting lever 9 of the second valve to its up position. In the extreme righthand diagram of Fig. 7 the thruster has rotated the ratchet thru 90 degrees from the last described position, thereby permitting lever 9 of the second or righthand valve in Fig. 2 to resume its down position. At such time both levers 9 are in their down position. A subsequent cycle of the thruster is required to bring the cams I0 to the position shown in the lefthand View of Fig. 7 and to position the parts for a repetition of the just described complete cycle.

When there are three dust valves 2 associated with a single shaft 5, the relative positions of the ratchets, cams and levers are shown in Fig. 8, but in view of the foregoing description of Fig. 7 it is believed that no extended description of Fig. 8 is required.

A Fig. 9 shows the relative positions of the ratchet teeth, cams -and levers for four ydust valves .which are to be operated in sequence by a single shaft. It will be noted that in Fig. 9 the ratchet I I has five teeth instead of four as in Figs. 7 and 8, and it will be understood that this isthe number of teeth required when there are four cams on the shaft and four levers to be actuatedsuccessively by thosecams. It is believed that the operation of the apparatus shown -in Fig. 9 will be readily understood from the foregoing description of Fig. 7.

In Figs. 3 and 4 parts of the dust valve 2 are shownin their relationship to shaft 5, lever 9 and cam |19. As above described, the shaft 5 is' rotatably carried by bracket 6 adjacent to the outlet end of dust valve 2; and cam I0 is keyed to shaft 5 so as to engage lever 9 of the dust valve. Lever 9 is keyed to shaft 25 which extends at right angles to shaft 5 and is mounted in bearings in valve 2. Within the valve 2 an arm 2B is keyed to shaft 25 and carries a closure element or cover 21 which, in the down position t of lever `Si, closes the intake end of branch pipe 3. When cam IIilifts lever 9 to its up position, shaft 25 is rotated and cover 21 is moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, thereby opening the dustr valve to the vacuum existing in branch pipe 3 and permitting the passage of air and dust from the dust valve into pipe 3.

'Whencam I9 passes beyond lever 9 the cover 27 moves by gravity to its pipe closing position shown by the full lines in Fig. 4.

- The interior constructions of dust valves 2 are shown completely in my copending application Ser. No. 464,720, but are disclosed in some little detail in the lefthand valve 2 of Fig. 2 and the modifications thereof in Figs. l0 and 11. Briefly described, the valve 2 of Figs. 1 and 2 is provided withl an inlet opening 4opposite branch pipe 3, a horizontal plate 28 at the lower end of the side walls of hopper I, a rod 3U attachedto plate 28 by which the plate may be reciprocated by means outside of the valve (not shown), and dust agitating means 3I pivoted within the hopper which supports plate 28 and permit its reciprocation. The plate 28 is provided with a plurality of holes 29 thru which dust in the hopper may pass into the space below the plate, thru which space a considerable volume of air flows at a high velocity when cover 21 is open. This iiow of air entrains the dust in, and falling into, the space below plate 28 and carries such dust thru pipes 3 and 4 to the provided place of disposal.

The modified valve shown in Figs. 10 and l1' is generally similar to the above described'valve 2 of Figs. 1 and 2 but differs therefrom in vcertain particulars. The plate 2B has been omitted androd 3D has been extended as at 39a, to engage with the lower end of the dust agitating plate which, as indicated at Sla, is narrower than the corresponding plate 3l of Fig. l. Thus the rod reciprocating means `(not shown)v serves to actuate the dust agitating means 3Ia despite the omission of perforated plate 28 of Figs. l and 2.v Additionally, two tubes 33 are positioned in the lower part of the valve housingand on opposite sides of rod 30a. When the discharge outlet of this modified form of valve is opened and Vacuum isapplied thereto, air may flow thru and aboutl tubes 33 and entrain and carry away finely divided particles from the housing, asis more fully described in my copending application Ser. No. 464,720.

The operation of the above described apparatus will be understood from the following de` vthereby move cover 27 of the rst dust valve to open position, as shown in Fig. 4. At about the same time reciprocation oi rod 30 is begun. When all the dust has been removed from the first hopper, the thruster is again energized to rotate the shaft 5 sufficiently fai1 for the cam I9 to clear the lever 9 of that hopper, thereby allowing the cover 21 to close the outlet from dust valve 2 of that hopper, and to rotate the l lever 9 of the next dust valve` to its yup position,

thereby beginning the removal of dust from the second valve. y

Having thus described the invention so that others skilled in the art may be able to under' l0 stand and practice the same, I state that what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is defined in what is claimed.

f What is claimed is:

1. Dust handling apparatus comprising a plul5 rality of housings, each housing communicating With the discharge opening vof a dust collecting hopper and having an inlet for air and an outlet for air and dust, and a pivoted closure in the housing for its outlet, a conduit operatively as- 20 sociated With said outlets and With means for creating a partial vacuum therein, a shaft rotatable in only one direction and through successive steps of not more than 90 each to operate said closures in succession, and cooperating@ mean operatively associated with said shaft andy with each of said closures tov pivot one closure to open position when the shaft is rotated through one of said steps and to permit movel ment of that closure to closed Lposition before,30

initiation of the opening movement of the clo'- sure of another housing.

2. Dust handling apparatus comprising a plurality of housings, each housing communicating with the discharge opening o'f a dust collecting 35 hopper and having an inlet for air and any out-k let for air and dust, and a pivoted` closure in the housing for its outlet, a conduit operatively associated with said outlets and with means for creating a partial vacuum therein, a shaft rotatable in. only onevdirection and through successive steps of notwmore than 90 each to op.

erate said closures in succession, cooperating means operatively associated with said vshaft and with each of said closures to pivot one closure to open` position When the shaft is rotated through one ofsaid steps and to permit movement of that closure to closed position before initiation of the opening movement of the elo-sure of another housing, and means to rotate said shaft step-wise comprising a ratchet on the shaft,

a reciprocable paWl engageable with said ratchet, andv means to reciprocate said pawl.

3. Dust handling apparatus comprising a plu-v rality of housings, each housing communicat-v -ing with the dischargeope'ning of a dust collecting hopper and having an inlet for air and an outlet for-air and dust, a closure in the housing for its outlet, a shaft extending through the housing andoperatively attached to said closure and an arm on the shaft outside of said housing, a conduit operatively associated with said outlets `and With means for creating a partial vacuum therein, a shaft rotatable in only one direction and through successive steps of rnot more than 90 vto operate said closures in succession, said shaft having cams thereon engageable With said l arms, the arm and cam ofone housing serving to' move the closure of that housing to'opened position during one step of rotation ofthe cam 

